The Congress will join Omar Abdullah’s government in Jammu and Kashmir but continue to support it from outside, the party said on Thursday.
Ahead of the much-awaited cabinet expansion in J&K, the Congress said till the time constitutional rights of people on land, jobs and statehood are not restored, the party will not accept any cabinet berth in Omar Abdullah’s government.
Ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for the UT’s four seats, the NC announced three candidates and offered the Congress the fourth, deemed unwinnable. NC took the first three seats; the BJP’s Sat Sharma won the fourth.
The Congress said it had been assured a “safe seat” and decided not to contest.
Cracks in the alliance widened in October last year after the Congress accused its alliance partner of betrayal in Rajya Sabha seat-sharing.
The National Conference had made a fresh offer to the Congress to join the cabinet last week. “The Central government has unilaterally and unconstitutionally revoked the constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Till the time those rights are restored, the Congress party will not join the cabinet. But we will continue to support the government. There is growing pressure on Omar Abdullah to expand his cabinet as he completes two years in government by October. But it is going to be a tough task for the Chief Minister. There are many ministerial aspirants in National Conference against only four vacancies in the cabinet. Of the two, J&K has an assembly, but the central government-appointed lieutenant governor continues to have sweeping powers on key matters in the state.
Eventually, the Congress decided in 2024 not to join the government; it said it would wait for J&K’s statehood to be restored. An elected government in Jammu and Kashmir was formed in October 2024 after over six years of direct central rule following the removal of special status under Article 370 and the bifurcation of the then state into two UTs, J&K and Ladakh.
Tariq Hamid Karra, President JKPCC, said there have been a lot of speculations about the offer and whether Congress will join the government. He said the Congress has taken a “principled stand” and the party will not change its stand. We want statehood and also constitutional rights on land and jobs restored,” said Tariq Hamid Karra. After the fresh offer now, state Congress leaders have told NDTV that their position remains unchanged.
